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I want to be in the Spotlight!
Accessibility: It’s About Everyone (rev.)
By Ellen Perlow, MSLS, PhD
Alternative formats are available upon request to eperlow@hotmail.com.
[Editor’s note: Ellen’s is the third of a 3-part series featuring members of the American Library Association’s Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) who are sensitive to the special access needs that can impact work in libraries. For information about being a member of and/or providing service to populations with special needs, see the ASCLA website and ASCLA Tipsheets on accessibility issues.]
It is the business and raison d’être of library and information science (LIS) professionals to deliver knowledge and information that enable patrons to pursue successful, independent and fulfilling lives (Schmetzke 2007). To effectively deliver knowledge and information to patrons, every LIS professional, regardless of position or type of employer, must be prepared to interact with patrons from diverse backgrounds. Many LIS professionals serve diverse populations each day, throughout the day. For these reasons, the core curricula of LIS programs teach both the principle of equity of access and the skill sets necessary to serve diverse populations (American Library Association, “ALA policy manual”); equity of access, particularly, is considered a pillar of the LIS profession (ALA, “ALA’s core competencies of librarianship: approved by ALA’s Presidential Task Force on Library Education”; Association for Library and Information Science Education). MORE
Perspective: Gender Wage Gap Affects Wyoming Workers
On Sept. 7, Tom Mast’s "Two Bits Worth" (see below) argued that Wyoming’s wage gap between men and women, the largest in the nation, "may not be the gross injustice it appears to be."
Wyoming’s women who work full-time year-round are paid 39.3 percent less than their male counterparts (compared with a 23 percent wage gap nationally). When part-time work and workers are included in the comparison, the wage gap increases to 44 percent. Mast cites, correctly, that wages in natural resources and mining are high and this sector of the economy employs far more men than women. However, his argument is missing several important points. First, the extractive industries employ only 17 percent of Wyoming’s men. While the wages of these workers do contribute to the wage gap, removing the wages of this sector from the calculation only decreases the gap by 7 points and would place us 48th (rather than 51st) in the nation! Thus, a more thorough examination of the data is necessary to both understand and rectify the problem.
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Why Do Women Earn Less?
The gap between what men and women earn is wider in Wyoming than elsewhere in the nation.
But that may not be the gross injustice it appears to be.
As reported last week, median earnings for women were $28,540 in 2007, compared to $45,310 for men.
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I want to write about Career Advancement!
Call for Certification, Publishing, Fundraising and Better Salaries Committee Volunteers
American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) President-elect Camila Alire is seeking applications and nominations for appointments to 2009-2010 ALA Allied Professional Association committees. Appointments take effect at the conclusion of the 2009 Annual Conference. MORE
YALSA Offers $34,000 in Grants for Conference, Research and More
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will offer more than $34,000 worth of grants and awards to YALSA members. YALSA members can use the awards to attend ALA Annual Conference for the first time, start a research program, add to their library’s collection and much more. MORE
Dear Librarian,
ALA-APA Wants You to Know About Employee Learning Week, December 8-12, 2008!
What is Employee Learning Week?
The American Society for Training & Development (ASTD) is presenting Employee Learning Week 2008 to libraries across the United States.
Employee Learning Week is an awareness campaign designed to draw attention to the value of learning and professional development. It is an opportunity for libraries to communicate with staff and patrons about the importance of increasing their knowledge and building their skills to focus on professional development. MORE
I
want to write about HR Law!
Bush Signs New ADA Legislation; New Federal Rules on Access for the Disabled Also Pending
By Christine Martin
On September 25, President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act of 2008, a bill that enjoyed wide support from both employer groups and advocates for the disabled. Both groups said the legislation was needed to counter a series of federal court decisions that interpreted the original 1990 ADA too narrowly. But the new legislation appears to address only employment-related ADA issues. MORE
I want to write about HR Practice!
The Difference Between Being a Leader and a Boss
By Jeannie Standal
After earning my business degree in human resource management, I got my first “real” job in HR working with a recruiting firm. I worked hard and mostly kept my head down, trying to do my very best. I made a few mistakes, as any newbie would, but I did a pretty good job. The owner and the team I worked with were supportive and set a good example; they were good leaders. It was a small firm, so individual effort was recognized and rewarded. I found my groove. MORE
New Loan Forgiveness Legislation Helps Librarians Reduce Student Loan Expenses
ALA is pleased to announce that, before leaving for the August recess, Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act (H.R. 4137). The President is expected to sign the bill soon.
The bill extends current law Perkins loan forgiveness to additional categories of borrowers who meet eligibility criteria and work as librarians, prekindergarten or child care workers, full-time faculty at tribal colleges or universities, and speech and language therapists. MORE
I
want to write about Statistics!
$5,000 Award Offered for Improving Library Workers' Salaries, Status
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is seeking nominees for a $5,000 award, courtesy of the SirsiDynix Corp. MORE
Inflation Outpaces Salaries, Say Academic Librarians; Private Academic Librarians More Likely to Feel Pinch, According to Survey
In its recent publication, The Survey of Academic Libraries 2008-09 Edition, Primary Research Group presents findings about trends in staffing and salaries. Data was collected from 75 college libraries in the United States and Canada. MORE
Many Academic and Public Librarian Positions Face Wage Decline; Inflation Erodes Salary Gains for Many Others
By Jamie Bragg
Results of the 2008 ALA-APA Salary Survey: Librarian – Public and Academic (Librarian Salary Survey) indicate that real salary gains of recent years might be endangered by rising inflation. According to the surveys, the mean salary of librarians did not outpace inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
According to the 2008 Librarian Salary Survey, the mean librarian salary rose to $58,960, an increase of $1,151 from 2007. Significantly, this increase of 2.0 percent was half that of the Consumer Price Index for the same time period: 4.0 percent (February 2008). MORE
I
want to write about Work/Life!
How I Lost 32 Pounds in 16 Weeks—You Can, Too! (And It Was EASY!)
By Nancy Washington
A version of this article appeared in the University of South Carolina Times, October 2007, http://www.sc.edu/usctimes/ articles/2007-10/washington.html.
Like many overweight or obese people, I secretly did not believe that I could really lose weight and keep it off, as if it was some mysterious process that worked for some people but not for me. MORE
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Editors: Jenifer Grady, Jamie Bragg
Index of all articles from volume 1, no. 1, though volume 5, no. 9.
What I Wish Everyone Knew About Librarians Writing Contest
What do you wish everyone knew about librarians? Smart Poodle Publishing invites public, academic, school and other librarians to share their stories. The contest, which accepts submissions until December 1, 2008, offers $650 in prizes.
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